Target Offering $200 for Older iPads Until November 9th

Thursday November 7, 2013 9:06 am PST by Juli Clover

Earlier this week, we shared a trade-in promotion from Target, which generated tremendous interest. Target is offering $200 for any iPad, including the original 1st generation models. Outside of the promotion, Target normally offers only $65 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi original iPad, which makes the $200 gift card a great deal.

Target's trade-in promotion is still going on, ending on Saturday, November 9, leaving two days to complete potential trade-ins. We've received some mixed reports about the success of the trade-ins. Trade-ins can only be done in-store to receive the special offer, as original iPad trade-ins online are still listed with a $65 value.

While Target has altered the wording on its original offer to suggest consumers trading in iPads should use the funds to purchase an iPad Air or iPad mini, many customers are still receiving $200 gift cards with no strings attached. Target's new promotional wording is below:

"Between November 3rd thru 9th, visit your local Target Mobility store and trade in any iPad for at least $200 to use towards the purchase of a new iPad."

According to our forums and emails we've received, Target has had some difficulty processing all of the trade-ins, and some Target stores seem to be unfamiliar with the details of the promotion. While some customers have had no issues trading in their iPads, others have faced long lines due to each store only having a few employees in the Mobile department, or been turned away entirely.

For most, the process is quick and simple. A Target employee will type in the model number, check to make sure the buttons are functional and that the screen isn't cracked, then enter a license number before handing over the gift card.

While some Target locations have insisted that the $200 trade-in value must be used for an iPad purchase, forum members have been able to circumvent this by claiming to wait for a Retina iPad mini or by visiting another Target location that did not implement the same restrictions.

Top Rated Comments

Took my 1 gen 32gb to the target in Capitola, Tuesday. No questions asked just have me the 200 gift card. Also traded in my old iPhone 4S for $135. 10 min tops and $335 in gift cards. Lady did say gift cards could not be used online, in store only.

1) There is no limit on how much you can sell. I watched a guy bring in 3 and they processed it.
2) you get a target gift card. It can be used for anything...not just another iPad purchase.
3) The gift cards have a $500 limit. So if you want to sell three old iPads, they give you 2 gift cards.
4) No penalty for engraved or personalized tablets. (yay!) I had mine personalized and they are hard to resell. Target does not penalize for personalized iPad.
5) Don't do the memory wipe before you go into the store. They need to see the serial number on the preferences panel. If you bring in a wiped iPad, you will have to reenter your appleID just to see the preferences panel. You can do a full wipe AFTER the Target Mobility guy finishes his data entry.
6) TURN OFF Find My iPad feature. If you leave it on, they have the right to take your store credit away if you and the other person forgets.

Yeah, wondered about this myself. There's obviously a certain amount of material you can recycle from the devices, and I'm sure many of them are resold in other markets where even a 1st gen iPad would be a significant device, but I have to assume that when you're taking $200 for even a 16GB wifi iPad 1 you're taking a loss. Most likely this is all designed to get people in the store, remind them that Target actually sells Apple products, maybe get some people to buy a mobile plan. In states like mine (UT) where they're not actually allowed to hand out the gift cards for trades it's also a guaranteed iPad sale.

I also suspect Apple is giving them incentive to do this, or it was part of the original deal to be a reseller. iPad 1 can't be upgraded to iOS 7, so I'm sure Apple wants them thinned out in the wild, I'm just surprised it's this important to them.

1. At first you could get the same deal online at http://www.targettradeinprogram.com by putting in the code NOVIPAD200 but that appears to be gone - YMMV

2. If they insist you use your gift card toward a new iPad, here's what I did: buy the cheapest one they have (I traded in two 1st gen iPads for $400, so got a $399 iPad 2), then walk it over to customer service and return it. In my case they gave me a $400 (+ tax) gift card with no restrictions.

Our Target - in Wisco - said it could be used towards ANY apple product or accessory. Traded in our 1st Gen iPad for a new 5S iPhone and paid NOTHING :) Still have a couple bucks left over for a case or something

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